The Social Side of Blogging

You started a blog. Congratulations, and I’m sorry. That is what we used to say to senior lifeguards who were promoted to Pool Manager for the first time. In other words, watch out what you wish for, because you may just get it!

We start blogs for a thousand different reasons. Most of us want to write and share our life experiences. We embark into this world of blogging and suddenly we are overwhelmed with decisions: the blog’s theme, blog title, which social networks to use, when to post…the list can be endless.

I recently reached another milestone with over 700 followers on my blog. I debated about writing this post. After all, there are thousands of posts with great blogging advice and tips. This post will focus on the social side of blogging.

Promote your Blog with Social Networks that YOU Like
Can you sustain a blog without social networking? In my experience…No. But, there are new social networks being launched every day. Once you decide on a social network, don’t just use it to promote your posts. You can share other interesting content as well, and even share fellow bloggers’ posts you enjoy.

The conundrum: which social network to use?
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram have been described as The Big Four of social networks. Others prefer LinkedIn and Google+. All can be used to bring more readers to your blog and you can link these networks directly to your posts. Using social networks takes time and dedication, and there are tricks and apps for making them work.

I recently participated in WordPress’ Blogging 201. One assignment asked bloggers to pick a social network to help grow their blog. Many bloggers, new and veteran, shared that they were reluctant to start a Facebook page, or did not understand Twitter. Some mentioned they were not planning to use images, and therefore not interested in Pinterest or Instagram. Some bloggers choose not to use any social networks.

If you are still deciding, as you read some of your favorite bloggers’ posts, scan through their page to see what social networks they use.

What works for me? Thank you for asking. Facebook: I use Facebook for both my blog and my consulting website. Yes, I have three different Facebook pages. No, I do not spend a lot of time on them. Since my blog shares directly to my Facebook Blog Page, readers following through Facebook can easily access my posts.

Facebook Groups: I belong to and follow several groups. In these groups, I have met a large number of bloggers and writers. Groups have their own flavors and cultures, but they do offer support and can be quite a great resource.

Twitter: I’m still learning the art of tweeting. Tweeting is another way to share a fellow blogger’s post you really liked. Because of a Facebook group I follow, I learned about a tool for sharing called Twitter Feed. Other bloggers agree to use this to promote and tweet each other’s posts and once set up, it is automatic.

Pinterest: If you create images for your posts, you can pin yours and others’ images directly from posts. By creating a board for your blog, you can collect information in the form of pins to be read later. Others may see these pins and re-pin them onto their boards. Following and pinning to group boards can also expose your blog to more readers. I have followed and have new readers because of pins. Pinterest can also link to Facebook and Twitter, leaving a post that you pinned something of interest.

Instagram: A network for sharing images, Instagram is meant for mobile technology and is designed for quick photo uploads. I should use this network more. Each time I create an image, I place into my “Ready Images” folder in Dropbox. Dropbox is a cloud for collecting images and files. Once you download the app onto your mobile devices, photos taken with your phone or tablet will automatically land in Dropbox. Once I access Instagram from my mobile device, I can select the ready image from Dropbox and share it instantly. It can take some time to share images, but once shared, the images are connected to your blog post which, in turn, may bring folks to your blog.

Linked In: When I was employed full time, I used Linked In constantly. I used it for any professional development posts I wrote. On Linked In, you can also share a blog post straight from its home page function.

A word about Google+. Are you using it? I was and really liked it. Unfortunately, Google has re-purposed this platform because it couldn’t compete with Facebook and Twitter. Here is the article, What Happened to Google+? Once I read this I decided to cut it loose and focus on the other networks.

Link Parties
Participating in link-ups to other blogs can be a double-edged sword in terms of time consumption. But, if you are trying to expand your readership, it is worth the time. Link-ups are an excellent way to meet other bloggers. For more in-depth information on link-ups, read my post here.

Most link-ups are organized so that blogs that receive the most clicks or views are presented as a featured post for the week. If your blog is featured, participants coming back for the next link party will see your featured post and likely read it.

Part of the charm of link-ups is the requirement to read and comment on other blogs that have joined the link-up. Commenting can take a little time, but who doesn’t love comments on their posts? Take the time to comment and even a follow a new blog. The author may just return the favor.

And to think that all you wanted to do was to write a simple blog. My blog has become my social network of choice and I have met hundreds of people, many I now call friends. I prefer reading wonderful blogs than scrolling through endless, and sometimes silly, Facebook posts. The social networks have become my social tool to enable my love of blogging.

Do you use social networks to promote your blog? If so, which one(s) is your favorite? Do tell!

For more information on blogging, regardless of what level of blogger you are or how many followers you have, take a moment and stop by these blogs. Each of these bloggers also hosts a link-up.

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93 thoughts on “The Social Side of Blogging”

Wonderful information! I’ve been using Instagram a lot since April and I really love it (mostly). I’m interested in looking into Pinterest, thanks to this post, but between Instagram and blogging, I’m almost out of time.

Oh, thank you, Aixa! Pinterest has not been a big help to me, I prefer FAcebook and Instagram particularly because I post a lot of my photography. Thank you for following, I’m coming over to have a look at your blog 🙂 And how do you pronounce your name?

Terri I came to let you know your post received more clicks than any othwr link this week at #Anything Goes! Congrats. Grab that special link. I have been trying to figure out how to post my memberships and awards and have fallen in love ith your slider. Can you tell me what it is? Also I am so very in love ith your new look! This just isn’t the same blog anymore! It is so homey here I am going back home to get a pot of coffee and a treat to share with you! Some nice girl talk sounds great right now!

Hi Marilyn! Thanks for the news, how cool! I use wordpress and the sidebar has a way to place those photos in a gallery. I think you can use O-Quey gallery if you self-host with wordpress. thanks for the kind words about my blog. I have changed a few colors and the header–thank you for noticing!

I am really into Instagram right now, I use Facebook and Instagram together, and I also use Twitter and Google+. But I need to get better at scheduling and interacting more. Thanks so much for the tips above, when I get time, and that seems to be the issue, I will hopefully come up with a plan to be more effective on all fronts!

Thank you so much for sharing this information, Teri. I have been on LinkedIn for a few years, long before I started blogging. I don’t tie in all of my blogs on LinkedIn because I use LinkedIn professionally and have content boundaries. I just started with Twitter and Tumblr so I need to learn more about their advantages. I wasn’t aware you could have more than account on FB. I have one but it is more of my husband’s gig. I have Google + but google is so vast. I will have to work with more. Thanks again.

Congratulations on this milestone Terri! Not a surprise given your wonderful pictures and narratives here, your engagement in the blogosphere through the Leisure Link and comments on others blogs, and your social media savvy. I think what makes you most successful is the personal relationship you carve out with each of us. Although I am only 1 of your 700, I feel like I am treated like a cherished friend. Thank you for that. My two favorite social media sites in addition to my blog are Twitter and Instagram. Twitter because I like to keep it short and sweet and find it a good place to share information. Instagram because it is all about the photography and so am I. Cheerio!

You are such a darling…I got all teary-eyed reading this. Blogging has given me more wonderful relationships than I ever thought possible! And how wonderful to follow people like you, Lisa, who live an amazing life and share your experiences so the rest of us can drool over (I mean live vicariously) your amazing journeys!

I love the way you put it. In the beginning it was only about writing, but man, things changed!
I’ll think about using dropbox this. It sounds like a plan. Thanks for sharing it, Terri!
I don’t get people using link parties only for traffic growth. I cannot see it this way. I adore the connection aspect. “Meeting” people I would probably never come across the normal way I connect to others on the internet is my number one reason for it.
Happy blogging!
#tiptuesday

Hi Terry, This is great information. I started blogging about two years ago, but I had no idea what I was doing. I recently joined a fb blogging group and I’m learning that it takes a supportive community to grow. I use Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. I use to hate Twitter, mainly because I didn’t get it. But, I’m starting to connect with other people there, and now, I really do like it. When you put your blog post on your fb page, do you get a decent amount of people to see it. If I don’t “boost” a post, the organic reach is dismal. Anyway, i enjoyed reading your post and I followed your blog so I’ll be able to read more. Thanks!

Yes, I hear it’s a good idea to boost a post that is already doing well on its own. If I see a post is getting some attention, I’ll boost it for about $3.00 or so, I had one post get 76 clicks for that. You can suspend the boost at anytime, so if it doesn’t seem to be working, you won’t waste your money.

Oh, there is so much involved in blogging! I never have gotten the hang of G+ so I’m not devastated to see it go by the wayside. It has been on my list to spend significant time figuring it out – I think you may have just freed up some of my time! 🙂

Thank you so much for entering this VERY informative pin in The Pinterest Game this week. Good luck and I hope we will see more entries from you in coming weeks!
Wendy, The Pinterest Game co-host

Thanks Terri for another great post. There are so many social media to choose from that it becomes confusing and can also take away from the fun of blogging. I schedule FB and twitter but didn’t know you could schedule Pinterest. Thanks for sharing with us and linking up again at #AnythingGoes

I love that some blogging platforms will let you automatically post to some of the social media accounts. It’s also nice that there are options for scheduling others. For instance, I can take 10-15 minutes one day, and schedule tweets and pinterest pins for the week. It helps me save time and sanity. Great post.

Thanks so much, it is always so helpful to hear what works for others and we can always pick up new ideas and tips that helps us. Pinterest is one of my best traffic bringers, fb and Twitter are starting to improve. I like G+ I keep thinking that Google being who they are will come up with some great idea for G+ LOL I can hope.
Kathleen
Fridays Blog Booster Party #25

All the social media platforms are beneficial depending on what your goal is. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram are more suited to interactions that take place within the platform whereas Facebook and Pinterest have a mix of platform interactions and click throughs.

I tend to think that spreading yourself across the major ones is better than concentrating on just one — especially if you’re interested in being seen as an expert in your niche. Having a presence and something useful to say is important.

For me, after search engine traffic (which is why I keep putting my posts on Google+) my major source of traffic back to my blog is Pinterest, followed by Facebook. I have the most followers on Twitter and I’ve only just started on Instagram because I had a stupid-phone up until a few weeks ago.

It is both confusing and fascinating. I don’t think anyone has figured it out yet.

Thank you so much Terri for the mention! I wasn’t expecting that. This is a post filled with lots of valuable information, thank you. Especially breaking down all of the social media sites. I am always re-thinking my plans and it is great to read what and how other bloggers use the different platforms.

P.S. I laughed so hard at your first line. How very true! Thank you so much for linking this post to my linky #MidLIfeLuv.

Hi Terri! Lots of good stuff here to remind us that there are so many different ways (and reasons) to blog. I do use social media (twitter, FB, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Google+) and do get traffic from them–but they do take work. And because my blog is a lifestyle blog that requires people to spend a little time reading, I know that my audience isn’t the masses. But I still think it is important for us to reach out and make ourselves visible no matter what. And yes, I do link parties too and have met some great bloggers that way, but I’m not sure they drive much traffic to my site. Overall it is finding your niche and working with other bloggers who are like you and appreciate what you create.

I continue to post to Google+ because I’ve heard it’s good for your Google tprankng. Other than that I don’t use it very much. I have the most followers on Twitter, so I do see a lot of traffic from there, and my Pinterest traffic has improved since I started working on upping my Pinterest game. Useful post, thank you.

It’s a very useful and interesting post, Terri. You’re becoming a social media specialist.
There is so much out there but many bloggers don’t know where to start and how to use the channels. So this was a good basis to explore as you nailed down the main sources.
Publishing simultaneously in diverse platforms is a good step, but I always doubt how effective it can be, unless you play the rules of the game, which involves a lot of reciprocity following without ever reading each other. It sounds like a numbers game rather than content and quality readership.
To make it work one really needs to devote time and effort to connect and interact as well, because it’s a guerrilla out there too.
I’ve been present in FB but just on my private page, and haven’t ventured into a special page for the blog. Just for lack of time.
I use my Pinterest, Twitter and IG accounts to publish some of my posts too, when it’s about photography, but it’s not from there that I get new readers.
Bloglovin has perhaps been more useful.
I cannot complain at all because I haven’t set a plan to become more active though. It’s a give and take cut-throat process, so one needs stamina for that and I’m blogging for pleasure.
I’m happy with the smooth pace my blog is developing and hardly have time to dedicate to read and comment on blogs I love. Adding more would mean decreasing the quality of my attention to those who come back regularly and support my blog.
What’s your take on my ramblings?

Lucile, you bring up excellent points and everyone needs to go their own pace. I think I get a little competitive with myself in daring to see how far I can go with my blog. Yet, I don’t intend to make $ with it because that’s a step I’m not willing to invest in. This is a serious hobby for me, but the best part about it are the relationships I have developed with sweeties like you and many others! For however many people follow your beautiful blog and incredible photos, you bring a wonderful dimension to blogging with exactly what you are doing.

Terri,
Actually, based on your thorough advice, I was kind of making a self evaluation and I’m far from concluding that I’m following the right direction. I just meant to say that this is what I can afford now.
I’m truly impressed with your approach to social media, and I know you’re a serious and considerate blogger, who is not there playing games. I’m sure that you’ll succeed, and if that will bring $, grab the opportunity.
It’s humbling to read your opinion about my blog. Thank you so much , my friend. Befriending you has been a blessing. ❤

Blogging can be a lot of work, which I don’t think any of us expected! Social media could eat up your time if you let it. I have been doing Elite Blog Academy, and learned so much about the power of social media. It all takes time though. I continue to do what I can and what I find fun or engaging. I am joining only those link parties which I enjoy and those with similar bloggers. It took awhile for me to find my people, but I am getting there! I always enjoy your content Terri!

Great stuff Terri. Not sure about the Linky’s though. I guess they work when everyone sticks to the rules laid down by the host. But so many don’t. They are happy to get comments but can’t be bothered to give. Pinterest is the best in my view.

I find what happens for me is that I spend so much time reading blogs (because I love it, and I love yours!) is that I procrastinate working on my own. And I’m that awkward nerdy girl with the thick black rimmed glasses dangling on the tip of her nose who never knows what to say or do when it comes to social media. My tweets always coming sounding like I’m babbling…which is because I am.

I’m not much chop at all the social media side of things – I have a fb page for my blog and I join a few link parties that are on the same wavelength as me so I’ll probably stay fairly small – but that is still way bigger than I ever expected and the friends have been a really big bonus!

Thanks for you tips. I’m still trying to find the secret sauce to draw people to my blog and I’m just now learning about and exploring link parties. I just started using Google+ so I guess I was too late for that! I haven’t seen any benefit from posting my links there – although I’m doing it to my personal Google+ page, so maybe that’s what I’m doing wrong.

Hi Katy, G+ was a little confusing and for a while all my posts were private. Twitter and FB have been the best for bringing in readers at this point. Thanks for sharing your comment with me! Good luck!

Interesting what you say about google+ as I do post my blogposts on the various communities that I belong to. On FB, I have my own personal profile which I share my latest weekly blogpost on; a FB page which I post my blogposts and I share other people’s relevant posts ; and a FB group where shoe posts are posted – it is one you have to ask to join & I make sure any shoe sellers & members on there are not bogus. I am on Twitter which I absolutely love – I combine my interests as well as posting my blogposts on there. I’ve just been reintroduced to pinterest & bloglovin’ – I haven’t an interest in Insta & Linkdin . Having a blog does mean spending most of your life on social media!! It’s addictive! Thanks for sharing – I’m from #midlifeluv

Hi Terri,
I am honored you included me with Elena and Marilyn. I am getting traffic from your site. I really appreciate the shoutout. Thank you!
As far as your article, I did not realize Google+ had changed. I will be sure to return to read that article.
Thanks again for including me and congratulations on 700 followers!.
Janice

Reblogged this on SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL and commented:
If you are like me, a baby in social media land, take a look at this post on “The Social Side of Blogging”. Terri Webster Schrandt is an experienced user of social media with lots of helpful suggestions for us beginners.

This is a great post, Terri. I have created a FB page, but keeping it going will be the challenge for me. I know if I don’t feed it with my posts, comments, etc. it will not be much help in bringing people to my blog. I just don’t know the best way to nurture my “baby” FB page. Thanks for the links you have provided. I will be checking them out.

Thanks for the suggestions Terri, regarding FBSharing or Pinning photographs specifically the concern I have involve copyright issues. Does our blog content, when shared, carry a copyright with it, and if not is there a Photo edit app that enables attaching a signature to a photo or must we include a disclaimer ?
Enjoy your blog and Cheers!

These are great questions! I have a copyright disclaimer on my sidebar. I also watermark all my images (picmonkey is free). A friend said wordpress really locks down images from being downloaded. She’s practically a pc hacker and she could not download mine. Hope that helps!

I automatically post on twitter and facebook, and I’ll post on instagram. I loved instagram, but found the people who use instagram, really don’t leave the feed to go to your profile to click the link to your blog, plus, my followers at least, are very fickle. I recently rebranded myself and they keep dropping off like flies, but I’m okay with that, because that’s less people I have to follow now.

I hate facebook, and I’m learning about twitter, but the one thing I don’t like about twitter is the fact is like a great big bulletin board with people promoting their stuff. Sometimes I just like to read a quote or something funny. To me, it’s a huge commercial.

So you somehow “linked In’ to my mind this morning? I began using Google + during that Blogging 201 class, have given it some time, and really just wanted to cut it loose, wondering if it was just me, then declaring that it being just me was good enough reason to do so!

This is an excellent post Terri, and the one I needed to read this morning. I am far enough into loving my website to see where and how far I can take it and your guidance within this post is very helpful.

Great post, any advice I would give to new bloggers is pick a social medium and master it before you jump into the proverbial social media “fire”, I know I made that mistake when i started blogging. Unfortunately Facebook changed up the reach we get now so it’s not nearly as effective as it used to be. Twitter is the wild wild west of social media, but once you get the hang of it and hashtagging it can bring traffic to your site.

Thanks for a great post with lots of information. I especially like what you said about using social networking platforms for more than promotion. I feel I need to be an active participant in the bigger picture, beyond just myself. But it is time-consuming. I’m active on Facebook and Twitter. I would love to begin on Pinterest, and then maybe Instgram, but I haven’t even begun..

I post automatically to Facebook and G+. Since I just started G+ I didn’t know it changed. Also participate in linky parties. But I had to cut back. I started doing every one I ran across, but I couldn’t keep up!
Thanks for the recommendations for the new blogs to check out!

A Little Bit About Me

I am a leisure educator (university adjunct faculty), self-published author, and retired recreation and parks practitioner living in Northern California. Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is my blog about living a leisure lifestyle.